Valve



March 6, 1934. c, A. CAMPBELL 1,949,559

VALVE Filed March 11, 1931 38 i W I -3 V 2? 29 5 55 31 2 s4 as 3nventor @i m/dwfl/ C(ttornegs Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE ,7

Charles A, (Jampbell, Watertown, N. Y.. wlgnor to The New York Air Brake Company, a cor- Donation of New Jersey Application March 11, 1931, Serial No. 521,823

4 Claims. (Cl. 137-158) This invention relates to valves, and particupressu e) a d 8 is t e pa leading from e larly to diaphragm-actuated val e valve seat to the space above the regulating pis- In many arts, notably the air brake art, exton which controls the flow of main reservoir tensive use is made of diaphragm-actuated valves, the brake P p 5 for example as a component of pump gover If further information as to the function of the 60 feed valves, and the like. Inasmuch as it is Darts just mentioned is desired, reference y e impossible to insure perfect centering of the had to y prior p e ,7 d d diaphragm and valve with reference to the valve Vvember 13, 1930 seat, and inasmuch -as irregular fiexure of the Threaded into an Opening in the t p of the diaphragm often destroys such centering, if it y 6 is a p 9 Which has an a ial bore 11 65 be attained, it ha b l t th universal into which is pressed the valve seat member 12. ractice t k use of h t, i known as a pin A plurality of transverse ports 13 communicate valve, with thebore 11 and with the annular space 14 su h a tr t r i ill t t t 33 in t which in turn is in communication with the paspatent to Clark, NO 499,450, June 13, 1393, d sage 8. The lower face of the valve seat 12 is briefly stated, it comprises a valve pin havin presented in a circular chamber 15 with which a conical valve face at one end to coact with the passage 7 c y m u cates.

a sharp annular seat, and having at the other Seated p r y against a shoulder 16 at the end a head which is held in thrust relation with lower margin of the a er 5 is a flexible diathe hub of the diaphragm by a coil spring. Sufll- Dhmgm This'flexible diaphragm is a ped 7 cient clearance around the pin is afiorded to against the Shoulder 16 y means Of a fi eted diainsure that the pin will be self-centering. B -supporting ring 18. This ring is clamped While such valves have enjoyed extensive use to Place by a Combined Spring 0 and nut 19 and entirely meet the requirements of certain which is threaded at 21 into a circular p n classes of service, they have a tendency in cerformed in the lower face of the housing 3 tain other and more severe classes of service The diaphragm has a Central aperture rough to wear one side of the al e t more t which is inserted the threaded stem of a hub 22. another, with the result that the seating action This threaded stem receives a iap ra bea er is ultimately impaired plate 23 which is threaded thereon and which 0 The present invention overcomes this defect, moves freely in the'cehtral Opening ou the and provides a valve which is freely slidable aphragm-Supp g rin transversely in all directions; which has the mininto the lower end of the Spring imum resistance to its aligning motion; and 19 is an adiustable spring eat 24 which may be which, after extensive test, has demonstrated turned by a hand Wheel 25 and Which pp 35 superior operative characteristics, particularly as the lower end of a 0011 thrust Spring The D- t i t i d tightness per end of the coil thrust spring bears against a For purposes of illustration the valve and the ange 27 on the sp thrust member diaphragm upon which it is mounted will be On the upper face of the spring thrust member described as embodied in a feed valve, but it 28 is a Conical thrust Which engages 40 is to be understood that this is merely illustrative the apex of a more obtuse conical recess f m d and that the valve and diaphragm may be used in the lower end of the hub DOWhWard in any 1 t in which diaphragm va1ves, for tion of the diaphragm 17 is limited by collision of example those of the pin valve type, are now d aphragm Plate 23 t a Portion of the Spring customarily used. box 19, as will be apparent from an inspection of 5 In the drawings: the drawing. Fig. 1 is a vertical axial section through the The interior of t sp box s v t d to a diaphragm valve mechanism forming part of said mOSphere through the p 80 t the W r invention; and face of the diaphragm 1'7 is always subject to at- Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing, on an enmospheric p ssu w h. t r w th the larged scale, the mount for the valve, the valve t rus of sp 6, resists this downward action itself, and the valve retaining sleeve, separated. of Pressure in e Chamber 15- Referring first to Fig. 1, 6 represents a en F r t parts s far d d, n0 v y is .ion of the body of a feed valve. 7 is a passage herein claimed. ieading from the brake pipe (it being assumed Referring now to Fig. 2, as well as Fig. l, the 55 that the feed valve is to maintain brake pipe hub 22 is formed at its center with an upward extending cylindrical boss 32 which preferably, but not necessarily, is counterbored at its center, as indicated at 33. The purpose of counterboring it is to reduce the area of contact with the laterally slidable valve about to be described, and to serve as a lubricating oil reservoir.

This valve comprises a disk-like base 34 of substantial diameter having a smaller cylindrical upward extension 35 upon the upper end of which is formed a conical valve surface 36. The diameter of the base materially exceeds the height measured from the lower surface to the circle of contact with the valve seat. The valve member is held in place on the upper end of the extension 32 by means of a retainer comprising a sleeve 37 having an outward extending flange 38 at its lower end and an inward extending flange 39 at its upper end. The opening within the flange 39 is larger than the diameter of the portion 35 of the valve, and the internal diameter of the sleeve 37 is larger than the external diameter of the disk 34.

Consequently, the valve member is free to shift laterally relatively to the hub 22. By making the hub 22 of brass and the valve member of highly polished non-corrosive alloy steel, very free action is secured.

The retainer made up of parts 37, 38 and 39 is intended to insure that the valve will be positively withdrawn from its seat. For this reason, the retainer should be fixed in position on the ex tension 32 in some manner. In the structure illustrated it is convenient to effect this result by means of a coil spring 41 which bears at its upper end against a portion of the body 6 and which bears at its lower end on the flange 38.

Where this arrangement cannot be used, the sleeve 37 may be staked to the extension 32, or may be fixed thereto in any other of the many ways which will readily suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic.

Where the spring 41 can be used, the strength of the spring must be sufiiciently great to insure the unseating of the valve under all conditions. In any case, the flange 39 should closely overhang the disk 34, thus confining the valve without substantial lost motion to contact with the supporting face on the end of the extension 32. This, as is clearly shown in the drawing, is a plane surface normal to the line of movement of the valve in its motions toward and from the seat. The retainer is so formed that it may be forced to place and no further.

The advantages of the arrangement above described are that the valve has a large bearing surface and may, therefore, move freely; that it is not subject to any spring thrust which in the case of conventional pin valves often causes a lateral canting or binding; that because of its proportions it is free of canting tendency. The valve is guided for motion in a definite plane parallel with the normal plane of the diaphragm. The construction is simple, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to' dismount and reassemble.

The diaphragm 17 with hub 22 and bearer plate 23, together with the valve elements 32 to 39, inclusive, may be substituted for conventional diaphragms with pin valves in a wide variety of mechanisms. No limitation to the feed valve or governor arts is implied. For example, diaphragm-actuated pin valves have been used extensively as terminal check valves in force feed lubricating systems, a service to which the present device is eminently suited.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a valve seat; a flexible diaphragm; a hub carried by said diaphragm, and having a plane thrust surface parallel with said diaphragm and opposed to said seat; a valve member comprising a disk-like base slidable on said thrust surface and a conical valve coacting with said seat; a retainer for said valve comprising a sleeve encircling said hub and making a slip fit therewith, said sleeve having a portion which overhangs the marginal portion of said disk-like base; and a spring reacting between said valve seat and said retainer.

2. The combination of a valve seat; a flexible diaphragm; a hub carried by said diaphragm, and having a plane thrust surface parallel with said diaphragm and opposed to said seat; a valve member comprising a disk-like base slidable on said thrust surface and a conical valve coacting with said seat; a retainer for said valve comprising a sleeve encircling said hub and making a slip fit therewith, said sleeve having a portion which overhangs the marginal portion of said disk-like base; a spring reacting between said valve seat and said retainer; and means limiting the motion of said sleeve toward said diaphragm.

3. The combination of a valve seat; a flexible diaphragm; a circular hub projecting from the diaphragm toward said valve seat and having at its end a plane thrust surface parallel with said diaphragm and opposed to said seat; a valve member comprising a disk-like base slidable on said thrust surface and a conical valve coacting with said seat; a retainer for said valve comprising a sleeve slidably encircling said hub and having an inwardly extending flange which overhangs the marginal portion of said valve member, said sleeve seating on said hub to prevent clamping of said valve member by the sleeve; and a spring encircling a. portion of said sleeve and reacting between said sleeve and said valve seat.

4. The combination of a. valve seat; a member movable toward and from the same, and having a thrust surface normal to its direction of motion and presented toward the seat; a conical valve having a disk-like base slidable laterally on said thrust surface; a retainer in thrust relation with said movable member and having a portion overhanging the margin of said valve but out of clamping relation therewith; and a compression spring reacting between said retainer and a part associated with said seat.

CHARLES A. CAMPBELL. 

